Charles River Labs stock trades near record levels on solid earnings outlook

Published on 09/21/2026 at 13:39 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

Charles River Labs stock recently closed at USD 277.71 on the NYSE, with analysts guiding FY 2026 EPS around 11.33 as of September 21, 2026. The shares are supported by FY 2026 guidance in a range of 11.15 to 11.45 dollars per share.

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Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. stock (ISIN US1591881009) is trading at an elevated level, with shares recently opening at USD 277.71 on the New York Stock Exchange as of September 21, 2026, underscoring investors' confidence in the company’s earnings outlook per data cited by MarketBeat. As of that report on September 21, 2026, the company has set fiscal year 2026 guidance for earnings per share between USD 11.15 and USD 11.45, and sell-side analysts expect about USD 11.33 EPS, providing a clear fundamental anchor for the current valuation.

Earnings guidance supports Charles River Labs stock

According to MarketBeat on September 21, 2026, Charles River Laboratories has issued fiscal year 2026 earnings guidance in a range of USD 11.15 to USD 11.45 per share. This midpoint near USD 11.30 EPS aligns closely with the current analyst consensus of roughly USD 11.33 EPS for the year, indicating that management’s outlook and market expectations are broadly in sync.

For investors, the narrow spread between the low and high ends of guidance, only USD 0.30 per share, signals a relatively high level of confidence in the company’s ability to deliver stable earnings in fiscal 2026. When compared with the consensus point estimate of USD 11.33 EPS, the upper end of guidance represents an upside of about USD 0.12 per share, while the lower end sits just USD 0.18 below consensus, framing a tight corridor for potential results. This quantified corridor helps investors judge whether the current share price at USD 277.71 still offers room for multiple expansion if the company delivers toward the top of the range.

Analyst targets frame upside for Charles River Labs stock

Analyst coverage remains supportive. As noted by MarketBeat on September 21, 2026, Evercore has reissued an outperform rating on Charles River Laboratories stock with a price target of USD 320.00. Relative to the recent opening level of USD 277.71, this target implies an upside of about USD 42.29 per share, or roughly 15.2 percent, if the stock were to reach that objective.

The MarketBeat overview further indicates that eleven equity research analysts rate Charles River Laboratories a Buy, three assign a Hold rating and one a Sell rating, resulting in an average rating described as Moderate Buy and an average price target of USD 273.81. This average target sits modestly below the recent opening price of USD 277.71, a difference of USD 3.90, which suggests that while Evercore sees additional upside, many analysts have already adjusted their expectations to account for the strong share performance in 2026.

Institutional flows and insider activity add nuance

The same filing summary from MarketBeat on September 21, 2026 highlights that Corient Private Wealth LP reduced its holdings in Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. by 23.6 percent during the second quarter. While the report focuses on Corient’s position change, it also notes that several other institutional investors, including HighTower Advisors LLC and Syon Capital LLC, increased their stakes, and that overall approximately 98.91 percent of the stock is held by institutional investors and hedge funds.

In addition, the article cites that over the last ninety days insiders have sold 165,990 shares of company stock worth USD 42,606,388. This level of insider selling, combined with the high institutional ownership, gives investors context on both confidence and profit-taking behavior. For a stock trading near the top of its historical range, such sales may reflect portfolio rebalancing at strong levels rather than a fundamental shift in outlook, but they remain a factor that risk-conscious investors will monitor.

Charles River Labs stock valuation and trading context

With Charles River Laboratories stock opening at USD 277.71 on September 21, 2026 on the NYSE, investors can benchmark this level against the average analyst price target of USD 273.81 reported by MarketBeat. At the current price, the stock trades about USD 3.90 above that average target, illustrating how strong share performance has already captured much of the anticipated earnings growth.

Assuming the midpoint of fiscal year 2026 EPS guidance at around USD 11.30, the recent price of USD 277.71 implies a forward price-to-earnings multiple near 24.6, using the guidance midpoint as a reference. If the company achieves the upper end of guidance at USD 11.45, the implied forward multiple would tighten closer to 24.3, whereas performance at the lower end of USD 11.15 would extend the multiple toward about 24.9. These small shifts emphasize how sensitive valuation is to subtle changes in earnings delivery when a stock is already priced for quality.

Charles River Labs stock price level

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. stock most recently opened at USD 277.71 on the New York Stock Exchange as of September 21, 2026, with trading taking place in United States dollars and the NYSE as the primary venue, based on the price snapshot reported by MarketBeat. This level reflects a strong position within the company’s recent trading history and sits moderately below Evercore’s USD 320.00 target while slightly above the USD 273.81 average target quoted by MarketBeat, giving investors a clear numerical frame for potential upside and downside from current levels.